2019 Winners & Shortlists

THE HASHTAGGING GRANDPA

BrandORANGE TUNISIA
Product/ServiceINTERNET PRODUCTS
EntrantFP7/TUN Tunis, TUNISIA
CategoryFinancial Products & Services, Commercial Public Services, B2B Products & Services
Idea Creation FP7/TUN Tunis, TUNISIA
Media Placement UM MENA Tunis, TUNISIA
PR FP7/TUN Tunis, TUNISIA
Production PROPAGANDA Tunis, TUNISIA

Why is this work relevant for Media?

In a time when Orange was perceived by its primary consumers (youth) to be an old-fashioned brand, this case shares how we made Orange relevant and exciting for the youth, once again, by creating a unique character as a media spokesperson and a media voice for Orange's internet products and services. And then it talks about how we made him a pop-culture icon through an unconventional campaign across media, deploying hilarious branded content, social media UGC, influencer outreach and an active media presence.

Background.

In Tunisia, a market driven by youth consumers and in a saturated telecom category, Orange wasn’t known for having the best internet experience. In fact, Orange was perceived by youth consumers to be a slow and old-fashioned brand; a brand that their grandparents would use.

Describe the creative idea/insights

The Insight: Grandparents are lovable in Tunisian culture, especially when they are trying to embrace the internet. In Tunisia, grandparents are adored. To Tunisian teens, they are parents without rules – all of the love with none of the “Nos”. They know how to make their grandchildren feel special no matter what. They remain hooked onto old ways of living but with the internet’s growth and telecommunications technology taking over, they are trying to get acquainted with the basics. But, grandparents are unintentionally funny when they can’t get a grasp of the internet and technology. In fact, we discovered several memes in Tunisia about grandparents and internet/technology fails! The Idea: “THE HASHTAGGING GRANDPA” - a typically slow and old-fashioned character, who promoted Orange’s internet products and services and won over Tunisian youth, through branded content.

Describe the strategy.

We didn't change the perception of Orange being an old-fashioned brand that their grandparents would use. If Orange was seen as being a brand that grandparents would use, then, because grandparents were adorable, we decided to live up to that perception! If we couldn't enjoy any novelty factor on products and services (as the market was saturated) or enjoy the high affinity our competitors enjoyed, we needed to win in culture: elevate the category’s conversations from generic claims to giving Orange an entertaining role for the youth. What if our content showed how even grandparents can be pretty internet-savvy with Orange because of the great internet experience from Orange?

Describe the execution.

The Grandpa was an instant hit. Through an episodic branded content series on YouTube and Facebook, the Grandpa continued to promote Orange’s internet products. The content was shared by famous Tunisian platforms as well as being featured in popular Tunisian News Shows. And the grandpa became an Online Sensation, appearing in a 35-minute interview on a famous Tunisian television - and online channel. His “Hashtag Le Brika” expression became part of spoofs. Re-mixes, made by famous Tunisian DJs using the now famous “Hashtag Le Brika” expression, were played in Tunisian clubs… and were also shared as ring tones. The grandpa became a meme, and the dish itself (the Brika) also became popular and trending, post the campaign. And ultimately, the grandpa's famous "Hashtag Le Brika" expression triggered unprecedented user generated content from Tunisians across social media, including parodies, as the idea became a part of pop culture!

List the results.

To attract youth to Orange’s internet experience, the content focused on the least likely users: an elderly Grandpa. And it paid off, as with only 33% of the next competitor’s budgets (1), “The Hashtagging Grandpa” proved to be Orange Tunisia’s most successful campaign to-date: The most viewed content from a brand in Tunisia in 2017, being viewed by 2 million unique viewers from the youth segment, reaching 80% of Tunisia’s youth population. The highest top-of-mind awareness: +162% vs. next competitor; rating of 55.04 vs. 21 for the next competitor, made Orange the most recognized telco brand in Tunisia. Perception as an innovative, youthful brand: +13.2 vs. -8.9 in the period preceding the campaign. Increased Facebook engagement by +326%. Earned +43% return on earned media value. +170% sales for Orange’s Flybox product. +200% sales for Orange’s ADSL product. +200% sales for Orange’s internet services.

Credits

Name Company Role
Tahaab Rais FP7 McCann MENAT Regional Head of Strategy
Mongi Bhouri FP7 McCann Tunisia Strategic Planner
Georges Yammine FP7 McCann Tunisia Executive Creative Director
Feriel Fellah FP7 McCann Tunisia Associate Creative Director
Sofiene Mejri FP7 McCann Tunisia Associate Creative Director
Barbara Abbes FP7 McCann Tunisia Business Director
Samia Dourai FP7 McCann Tunisia Account Manager
Phedra Ghedira FP7 McCann Tunisia Account Executive
Slim Boukhris FP7 McCann Tunisia Art Director
Afifa Chihaoui FP7 McCann Tunisia FP7 McCann Tunisia
Nidhal Zoghlami FP7 McCann Tunisia Managing Director
Anna Sadykova FP7 McCann Dubai Associate Strategist